José Gil Rioja 'Paraje el Bardallo' 2024

José Gil is blazing a trail in Rioja. His site-specific wines disregard the traditional oak ageing categories that have defined the region, and shift the focus to terroir. Made with very old vine fruit grown high up in Rioja Alavesa, they’re some of Spain's most exciting and sought-after bottles.

José grew up in the hills around San Vicente de la Sonsierra, learning his craft at his family’s winery, Bodegas Olmaza, famed for some of Rioja’s oldest vines. He worked in Burgundy and the Mosel, then started his own project in 2011, slowly taking over the old, high-altitude plots that his family struggled to manage. His Tempranillo vines are co-planted with some Garnacha, Viura and Palomino, all farmed organically. In a cellar carved out of the rocky hillside, the wines are fermented with wild yeasts, then aged in a mix of large French oak and neutral vessels.

There are two ‘village’ wines blended from selected old vine plots, as well as three single site wines made in minuscule quantities. After they all received huge scores from the critics for the 2020 vintage, they have taken on cult status, and are now rarely seen for sale.